Human Test Subjects
by adkal
Summary: A series of murders catches the attention of Clark Kent (investigative reporter) and The Batman (The World's Greatest Detective)
1. Chapter 1

It's not something he would ever readily admit to, but I know there is a part of him that is jealous and somewhat resentful with regards to what I can do. I also know that right next to that part of him is another part that strongly believes I could be doing more than I do do. Right next to that, though, is another part of him that is…comforted by the fact that I do limit myself.

Right now, though, he would be jealous.

Not of the fact that I'm standing in a room with blood splattered on the walls and riddled bodies strewn all over the place, no. This room would grieve him, just as it grieves me. It would anger him, just as it angers me. This room, with the bodies of fourteen children, shouldn't exist.

No, he would be jealous of the fact that I'm able to be in this room without leaving a trace of myself.

He would be jealous of the fact that, despite the bodies looking like they had all been shot at close-range, I cannot detect any scent of gunpowder in the air.

He would be jealous of the fact that, without touching anything, I know that there are no bullets in the room, let alone any shell casings.

He would be jealous of the fact that, within seconds, let alone moments, I know that not a single bullet was fired in this room. That, despite the burns, not a single bullet is in any of the bodies, and that each wound on each body contains skin and genetic traces that are foreign to that body.

It's a positive jealousy, though, and that's an important distinction to make.

* * *

One of the advantages of being friends with someone like him is that his very existence inspires me to reach further, become better, and push past the limits of being human. I know he knows this, and I know he knows that I would never come out and say it to him, but there are moments when I see him do something and there's a twinge of 'if only I could'. The thing about him, though, is that, without saying a word, he basically says 'sure, I can do this with ease, but you can do something similar if you want to', so that twinge starts a domino effect and the 'if only I could' becomes something like 'I can'.

There's an aspect about him, though, that almost no one ever considers and, initially, I was among those who didn't consider it. I arrogantly believed that he was over-reliant on his powers and abilities; that taking them away would render him…less than human. As much as I rib him I will never, ever, underestimate him.

Right now, I wish he was here.

Right now, the readings I have from equipment I've made or had made to crudely simulate some of the things he can do…they don't make sense.

Right now, in a room in the basement of a brownstone just off Crime Alley, five kids are lying dead. To the eyes of everyone here, they were shot. Repeatedly.

To _my_ eyes, they were shot. Repeatedly.

According to my HUD, they weren't…

He can see things I can't, and it's because of the things he can do that I, and others, have spent millions developing technology that would enable us to do something similar. He could cut down the investigation time dramatically.

I hate him sometimes…but it's not hate.

I've got work to do.

* * *

I'm a pretty good detective overall - he's even told me so and, frankly, that's praise I'm more than willing to accept – but as quickly as I'm able to filter and dissect information, as good as I am at finding the links and chains and connecting the dots, he's better.

The only thing these kids had in common is that they had all been smuggled in to the US over the past year. That's it. No two were from the same country; no two were taken from the same city; and none had been living in Metropolis.

Reviewing the data from each body, I've found some disturbing things:

In two of the kids, there was 0.01 grams of Silicon – the norm is around 0.001.

One girl had 0.026 grams of Vanadium – the norm is 0.000026.

Each of the fourteen had higher levels of at least one element than they should ordinarily have.

This doesn't make sense, and, going by the genetic traces inside their wounds, there were at least three attackers.

Steve's keeping himself to himself, thankfully. As much as he enjoys playing pranks on Clark Kent, I've come to realise that he actually does respect Clark's work.

Selenium plays a role in the functioning of a human's thyroid gland and it has been used to treat Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but there's no indication in the body of this boy from the Ivory Coast that there was any disruption in his growth.

Vanadium supplements are used for increasing insulin sensitivity and, by some, for body-building, but this girl from Venezuela, although having slightly denser musculature for her age, has no signs of undergoing advanced physical training and her pancreas looks fine.

* * *

One hundred and fifteen children, from across the country.

Each one smuggled in.

Each one missing but none are being looked for.

None of the five murdered were from Gotham.

Alfred's getting on with the bio-chem analysis but I can see how angry he is. He's heavily involved in the Wayne Foundation's work in providing support for children in Gotham and the Tri-State area, but rolling the programs out across the country have been slow going.

Dr Woodley and I have a good working relationship and she has provided me with a direct feed as she conducts the autopsies, but both of us are stumped. Everything indicates that the kids were shot at close range: a greenish hue of gunpowder, soot on the body, hemothoraces…

And there seem to have been at least two different guns used.

Reviewing the recording I made of the scene, I can't find any recoil markers, the blood splatters indicate that two of the victims were shot at the same time…but the curiosity are the specks of blood on the floor. Preliminary analysis is that the blood of each of the victims is on the floor and the mapping of the blood splatters…there is blood where there 'shouldn't' be…


	2. Development

The international arms race has three main 'fronts' – the public one, where new weapons are announced, demonstrated and purchased, and old weapons are traded with emerging nations in order to give them some sense of security; the private one, where more advanced weapons are demonstrated, and their acquisition and further development is encouraged; and the silent one, where 'forbidden' weapons are developed and demonstrated. In years gone by, this last front had primarily been involved in chemical and bio-chemical weapons, creating ways of killing and disposing quickly and efficiently. The emergence of the super-powered individual changed all that.

While companies like WayneTech kept their focus on the development of non-lethal weapons and containment, others, like LexCorp and Stagg Enterprises, looked towards cybernetic enhancement and genetic alteration as well as the more traditional 'development of materials designed to protect'. As a result of this, on the one hand there was breathable riot foam which was used to protect Gotham from a parademon invasion; on the other hand there were humans with muscles like steel and able to pound away like pistons, who were sent out to protect Detroit…but whose hearts were still human and unable to take the strain.

Despite this, the 'one man army' - a goal carried forward through centuries of military development (the ancient Spartans, for example, believed that battlefield training began at birth – literally at the age of 48 hours) – remained the aim of governments, leaders, and despots across the world. Physical godhood was sought and, on a few occasions, temporarily attained.

* * *

The poor neighbourhoods in the hills around Caracas are dangerous. At all times. From the age of eight, Stephanie has had a desire to attend the Simon Bolivar University. Cobbling together things like televisions and communications devices from scrap, she believed that her aptitude would serve her well at the institute and that she, in turn, would be able to serve her people well, too. Her father, Stefan, often took her to the campus and she loved spending time near the Hydro-Kinetic Sculpture and listening the various stories about its design and function.

A little after Stephanie turned 11, Stefan didn't come home.

There had been a spate of murders in the weeks leading up to his death, and Stephanie had been diligently working on a protective device – part taser, part sonic, part telephone – which she would be able to provide to her friends and family. In typical 'ironic fashion', she finished the device the night her father was in the wrong place at the wrong time in the _El Silencio_ district.

Soon after, the locals began calling her 'Ramona' and, over a period of two years, her area was known as the safest in the hills. She wasn't an aggressor or anything like that; all she wanted was for people to be safe. Although she shunned the reverence the locals bestowed on her, many openly considered her to be some kind of queen and divinely sent protector.

The poor neighbourhoods in the hills around Caracas are dangerous. Five children are missing – among them is Esperanza, 'Queen Ramona's' big sister – and there is blood in the streets.

* * *

Ahmed was born when Henri Konan Bedie won the re-election in 1995. From a young age he showed incredible affinity for languages and was soon fluent in 10 of the 65 languages spoken in the country. When the Ivorian Civil War occurred in 2002, Ahmed and his family were visiting friends in a shanty town. After President Gbagbo's televised address, and as a result of the attacks by gendarmes and vigilantes, Ahmed became an orphan. Soon after, Ahmed found himself pulled in to the army of a warlord and given a gun.

To date, he has never fired it.

Ahmed has, over the past decade, established himself, against massive odds, as a translator and negotiator. His successes have varied but his determination has never wavered.

Today is the third day of a series of negotiations between seven warlords and regional officials over territories near the border with Ghana. Next week, Ahmed was supposed to be near the Liberian border for a similar process.

Today, there is unrest as various parties set out to find Ahmed, who is missing from his locked room.

* * *

Officially, there are no domestic or international human rights organisations functioning in Eritrea. There is also no privately owned news media. For years, Antonios has held a secret close to his heart – some of his closest friends belong to denominations that are outside the 'registered' denominations. Fatima, for example, is Shia, and Frazer is Anabaptist. Antonios' uncle is an enforcer and is more than willing to raid a house and accuse people of worshipping in secret.

Antonios is the only child of Leader Tadese and his mother passed away after giving birth to him. Leader Tadese has had eleven wives to date – with Antonios' mother being the sixth. Each wife passed away soon after giving birth. Some hold a superstition that Antonios is 'more than human' because he is the only one to have lived. Physically imposing, strong in arm and leg, and bright enough to attend classes at the University of Asmara, Antonios _wants_ to be 'more than human' so that he can bring about change in Eritrea.

When he was approached by certain men earlier in the year, Antonios readily accepted their offer. Their only condition was absolute confidentiality. They've now come to collect and Antonios has willingly gone with them – Leader Tadese and his people don't know that, though, and so are trying to find him…

* * *

Shortly after Superman's debut to the world a flawed clone flew through the skies of Metropolis. Recognizing its own shortcomings, the clone sacrificed itself in order to give to others. To date, the only confirmed reports are that several dozen people who had previously been blind could now see. The nature of their blindness varied, with at least three having been born blind. During his investigation into these reports, Clark Kent had come across other accounts of temporarily increased strength and speed amongst a number of high schoolers, and two accounts of increased intelligence. Each person, however, didn't want their story told and, for almost all of them, their enhanced abilities were found to be short-lived and temporary in nature.

Others had also conducted investigations into these reports, among them being a small team of 'headhunters' from LexCorp. 'Headhunters' is the title they were given according to human resource files; however their role was more one of investigation rather than recruitment. They are quite persuasive and often return to LexCorp with a wealth of data, including blood samples. This, in turn, is then analysed and disseminated amongst various research and development teams, with the overarching aim being 'the betterment of man'.

When the joint announcement by the US President and the British Prime Minister was made in 2000 of the 'rough draft' of the human genome, almost no one in the genomics departments of LexCorp paid it any attention. In 1997 they had already sequenced the human genome fourteen times, using both the hierarchical shotgun approach and the whole genome shotgun sequencing approach, as well as four other undisclosed approaches. The only point of amusement, or cheer, shared by many in the labs was when the stock of a certain company, and biotech companies in general, plummeted after Lex Luthor made a few casual suggestions to the President of the United States that the genome sequence should not be patented.

Across the world, the militaries have acknowledged that a soldier who is too tired to fight effectively, or has gone mad or is suffering from severe stress is, basically, no use to anybody. Across the world the question is put forward: what if soldiers could be made that did not break down? The Pentagon's disclosed annual budget for researching ways to 'enhance' the human fighter is around $500 million. The amount actually spent is considerably more, and some of the findings from the research have made their way into the food and body-development industries.

One of the first developments LexCorp made was in eliminating the need for sleep. To date, the main successful subject has been one John Corben and studies are still being conducted with regards to why he has been 'okay' (albeit sometimes considered insane) whereas other test subjects have either succumbed to madness or, more often than not, suffered complete memory loss.

As well as chemical and genetic developments, there has also been a focus in the technological – and several employees at LexCorp have posited the theory that the miniaturised transcranial magnetic stimulation prototype that was installed in the robotic skull that now houses Corben's brain is a major contributor towards his overall 'success'. Lightweight but durable alloys have been developed, with some companies having particular emphasis placed on the replacement of body parts rather than the development of protective devices. The problematic area throughout the years has been the spinal column, and the work of people like Dr Morrow and Dr Magnus are highly sought after. Time again, though, it seems that some things have been achieved by inexplicable luck rather than the direct application of science.


	3. Layers

The problem with using a vaccination scheme as a way of sourcing and filtering suitable test subjects is that too many people 'want in'. The TB-scheme, for example, was seen by a few corporations as a means of testing their lung enhancement formulas; the polio-scheme, naturally, was used to test muscle enhancement. When there are several companies vying for test subjects within the same region, there are often clashes, and incitement, and death.

Just to be clear, the base formula of the vaccine is almost always sound and does serve to vaccinate people against the target disease. The secondary, tertiary, or even deeper layers to the test formula is where things get complicated. LexCorp's advanced analysis of the human genome highlighted, initially, thirty-two key areas which were 'amenable' to either base splicing (for which results were not very forthcoming and, according to numerous projections, either wouldn't manifest in the subject for at least forty years or, in the best case scenario, would manifest in 1 in 4 of their offspring), or code adjustment which would then lead to the desired production of amino acids and proteins, provided there were regular 'top-ups', usually via the water supply.

As the success of the genome project came to light, proposals were put forward with regards to how the new knowledge could be expanded upon and incorporated further down the line 'for the greater good'. Taking in to consideration that the required responses would only be attained from around 1 in a thousand of the population, for some treatments, and progressively fewer numbers for other treatments, a multi-tiered approach was finally decided upon, of which one tier was mass inoculation.

* * *

To be honest, it's not something I had actually given much thought to, initially. In my days as a roaming reporter submitting articles to the AP while learning about the world, her cultures and societies and mores, and so on, I had come across an anti-vaccination position in vast areas of the world. For the most part, the justification for such a position tended to be along the lines of 'previously they had secretly infected us and then given us 'cures' all in the end goal of subverting and oppressing us'.

It was all about trust, and they didn't trust the intent of the self-promoting saviours.

On occasion I would scan the vaccines to see if there was any slight truth to the claims, knowing that one of the drawbacks with mass inoculation is that _some_ people have adverse reactions and, of those, _some_ do die, but they are far, far fewer in number than those who would die without receiving the vaccination. I was often reluctant in doing such a scan, though, as, generally, there was no way of knowing with any certainty that my scans might have an adverse effect on the medicines. As passive as my vision seems to be, there was, at that time, no way of knowing if definitely was.

I think I may have made a mistake in not continuing my observations.

I think I may have become too passive in some respects since donning the cape…

* * *

Holmes had it easy in his day. I'm not saying that lightly. He didn't have to consider seemingly ridiculous things like 'bullets attached to tentacle-like fingers'. Dr Woodley came to the conclusion, based on some alien residue in the victims' injuries, that some form of melting bullet was used. It's not as far-fetched as some might think – and it's a method of assassination that's used more often than I'd like it to be true – but in this case, with these deaths, it doesn't fit.

Scene-analysis gives weight to my conclusion, but only when seen through the lens of experience. At least two people, somehow, are able to turn their fingertips into organic bullets and 'fire' them with enough velocity to pierce skin and burrow through tissue, and, in one case, shatter bone.

But none of that explains why these children were targeted and murdered, or why those others, across the country, are missing.

Determining the assassins' height is difficult – the fingers had not fully retracted when the blood fell from them. The 10mm diameter of the more prominent blood splatters would indicate a height of around 45cm which, ordinarily, would be indicative of the attackers being extremely short in height. The 15mm diameter of one splatter indicates a height of 120cm, which possibly occurred after full retraction of the bullet fingers. The fact that this blood splatter contains a mixture of two sources of blood, and the statistical impossibility of that occurring 'by chance', lend weight to that hypothesis.

Based on the scuffs in the floor and roars some people heard out in the street, at least one is female and the actual act of firing these 'bullet-fingers', or perhaps even hitting their targets, causes them some pain.

…and there's no way of knowing, yet, if they're still in Gotham…

* * *

If you know what you're looking for, and have the equipment and time available, you can analyse things like nucleoproteins and figure out who made a particular vaccine. It's much more difficult to determine this years after the vaccine has been administered but when you have eyes like mine it's not impossible either.

One of the victims is from rural Bangladesh and her body contains traces of a measles vaccine. While there are some on-going vaccinations of newer formulas, the nucleoprotein in her is from a batch that was made between 1982 and 1985, and the use of which was discontinued in 1987. She's too young to have received the vaccine when it was originally distributed, so either someone hoarded a supply and continued administering it, or someone signed off on reissuing an old batch years later.

The trace amounts of the PM-1503-3M strain of the rabies virus in the girl from Iraq is a curiosity. There's nothing to show she was ever bitten, and although reports of instances of females being reported as having rabies are eight times less than those of men, they wouldn't administer any of the rabies prophylaxis if there was no need to.

Twelve of the victims had also received forms of the BCG vaccination, and of those nine show…enhanced lung capacity….

The genetic residues I identified in each victim were quite mutated. Definitely human, but there were a number of manipulations and enhancements. For a little while I was convinced one of the assassins hailed from a southern African nation. At the moment, though, the analysis indicates they're from the US, from one of the southern states here, but with a genetic signature that they shouldn't have. There are even some traces of Vuldarian, which may explain some of the discrepancies, but those traces are not through Guy's direct bloodline…

* * *

Human trafficking is something I've tried to tackle whenever possible. It's something Superman and the League, in general, tries to address, but, at the same time, it's something we're handicapped against as various governments turn a blind eye and others highlight the sanctuary of international waters.

As much as I hate gun-runners, I hate these guys even more.

Ronaldo here decided to call himself Ronald and take advantage of the support structure set up by the red-haired burger clown. Layers of fraud and the misdirection of funds being donated for a worthy cause brought him to my attention four years ago. Somehow, he only got 6 months. Somehow, he stayed off my radar for a few years.

Sometimes I wonder if I should go after the corporate lawyers more often. Part of me is convinced that most of them know that the businesses they're helping to set up and advise are mere fronts, but the rational side of me makes me acknowledge that 'most' is more likely 'a handful'.

Ronaldo aids and specialises in the smuggling of children from war-torn nations, but he prefers operating out of ports in Florida and Mississippi rather than venturing up the East Coast and using Gotham or Metropolis. The fact that he's here at the moment, though, leads me to believe he's directly involved in those murders.

Unfortunately, I have to wait for him to wake up.

* * *

Every day, something happens, some news, some truth, something is uncovered which makes me regret being so…passive with regards to how I involve myself with the world. Becoming a 'beneficent' dictator would be easy and I know, across the world, citizens would embrace me as their 'ruler' with open arms. But how quickly would 'beneficent' become 'overbearing' or 'tyrannical'?

How quickly would the attempts at some to attain freedom from the alien lead to me becoming what they want others to believe me to be?

Yesterday, when I interfered in the raid and shootout in the outskirts of Mogadishu, protecting members of Doctors Without Borders as well as hundreds of patients and refugees, I didn't give a second thought to the fact that over a dozen raiders tried to tackle me directly. I rolled with their punches and allowed them to wear themselves down, but I was distracted with keeping their targets safe and it's only now that the fact that they physically engaged me for over half an hour is actually sinking in.

They weren't wearing body armour like Bruce or the MSCU; there were no gadgets that enhanced their strength or durability or speed.

But they kept coming, even as their knuckles broke and tore through their skin…


	4. Uncomfortable Truths

'I'm a legitimate businessman and this is a breach of my rights,' rasped Ronaldo as he hung upside down in absolute darkness. He figured he had been awake for at least half an hour, but the blood rushing to his head wasn't making it easy to think straight.

A scream tore through the silence and, in the darkness, Ronaldo winced and shut his eyes tightly.

Ronaldo shrieked in terror as something touched his face. His mouth involuntarily began to water as he smelled cooking meat.

'That's your calve, by the way,' said a voice that sounded like stones crashing against each other.

In a panic, Ronaldo tried to struggle out of his bonds…and then realised that all he could move was his head.

'Tell me about the children. Tell me why you're in Gotham.'

Warm liquid ran 'up' Ronaldo's neck and across his lips. He could taste the salt and he spluttered.

'More?'

'No! No, I'll tell you! *cough* I didn't know they were going to be killed, I swear!'

He waited for a response but none was forthcoming.

'We keep tabs on the people we bring in. We have to in order to…to receive payments, you know? On those who didn't pay in full up front? But even generally, they have to know that we own them.'

And still there was silence.

'The kids aren't all ours. *cough* There's a retrieval contract out on them. Fifty grand for each kid. We grab them and drop them off at whichever location is emailed to us.'

'How many?'

'Thirty…but the call was for a hundred and eighty two, all across the country. It's not just us, man! The whole network got involved. Good for cash flow and to get…get in the good books.'

'Why?'

'I DON'T KNOW! PLEASE, you HAVE To belieVE ME!'

* * *

Sometimes I wonder if Perry hired me because of my international contacts. I don't think of it in a boastful way, but I know people in every country in the world, and across the spectrum. From crisis centre managers and coordinators to members of government; from tribal leaders in the jungles of Africa and the Amazon to potential future First World leaders; from refugee camp coordinators to those who have the ear of despots. Before settling in Metropolis, Clark Kent got around.

In between piecing together the goings-on of this international 'conspiracy' and reaching out to various contacts, I've had to take time out to divert a mudslide, put out a bush fire, save a sinking cruise ship, stop the assassination of a man mistaken to be a Russian oligarch, save a pet hamster that accidentally got flushed down a toilet, stop two terrified suicide bombers and reunite them with their families, dispose of forty IEDs, plug a leak in an oil well, destroy a cache of weapons being purchased by some white supremacists, pull a group of Jihadists away from an otherwise innocent village, and check up on the transpacific yacht race.

For over a decade there were rumours of governments, drug companies, and weapons developers collaborating for the next thing in warfare. It's a business worth trillions, and it's not entirely new. In my early days as a reporter, I inadvertently uncovered a few such schemes but this seems to be on a whole other level.

In Haiti, scattered among the various camps, I found three girls possessing Bane-level strength. The eldest was twelve.

In Cuba, I found a boy capable of conducting a range of surgeries. His brain is attuned to determining illness and cure and he has put together a personal and portable surgery. He has been in hiding for two years but refused my offer of help. I can't help but smile at _his_ offer to help me if I ever need it.

In Venezuela I found the technology queen: Stephanie. She's a determined pacifist but with her pain and the search for her missing sister and other children…that ideal might not last.

I checked up on the men in Somalia and found their pain receptors don't work…and they do not recognise fear.

None of them had what has been described as an active meta-gene – the constant STAR Labs and others have previously identified as being necessary for certain people to gain powers and abilities. In each of them, that part of their genetic code remains passive, yet they are still 'enhanced'.

Each murdered child had some kind of enhancement, that much is now clear. What's also clear is that each one was an unwitting part of mass experimentation. Guinea pigs.

And there are millions like them.

* * *

There are 77 children out there being hunted, and they could be in any part of the country. There are a hundred more dead or dying. A frightening position, and a daunting one; but alleviated somewhat with a little help from some friends, as well as cross-referring data retrieved from Ronald's system.

Ollie and Dinah raided Baron Noc's warehouse in Star City and saved twelve kids. They hadn't been transported to the drop site, thankfully.

Diana caused uproar in DC but, in doing so, revealed a Senator who was part of a paedophile and child-trafficking ring, and saved five children.

In light of the recovered bodies of fourteen kids in Metropolis, I know Clark's on the job. I've sent him the info, anyway.

Dick found the Bludhaven batch before Tim even reached Gotham City limits. Turns out that two of the kids were students at the gym he was working at.

The whole scheme doesn't make sense, though. What is it about these kids that someone is putting out contracts on them?

And who the heck are the assassins?

* * *

Just as a computer does various calculations in the background, unnoticed by the casual user, so, too, does Superman's brain enable him to work on various problems 'passively'. While calculating bullet trajectories is second nature to him, deciphering genetic codes and determining their origin sometimes takes him a little longer. Some people use the 'sleep on it' approach when tackling certain problems, using the memory 'strengthening' benefit that sleep provides. Superman's brain, whether naturally occurring or as a result of bio-enhancements through being on Earth, is able to do the same thing without needing sleep. Ever since his 'Eureka click' knocked down a grove of trees when he was sixteen, Clark Kent has been very, very careful when it comes to clicking his fingers and also when having a 'Eureka' moment.

Over the years, Clark Kent has tried to be the kind of person who wouldn't judge, but it isn't always easy. Ordinarily, as Superman, he would approach someone like Dr Rodriguez to confirm his findings but, regardless of the uncomfortable nature of his conclusions with regards to the assassins, their threat level is such that an 'act now and get answers later' approach is the 'only' way.

One hundred and eighty two children were going to be killed by these people and, high in the sky, far beyond the vision of almost everyone on the planet, Superman hovered and scanned and watched and breathed as, in Arkansas and Mississippi, preparations were being made for a new round of 'ranching'.


	5. Chapter 5

Parts of the human genetic code are quite malleable; other parts become so when exposed to things like radiation. For a long while, the general public focus with regards to evolution has been on deterministic evolution, via natural selection. There are, however, other parts to evolution, and one such part is seen when consideration is given to a finite population size and inbreeding. Such an environment can lead to genetic drifts.

Inbreeding. It sends a shiver down the spines of many but there are the examples of European royal families, and other cultures across the world, which have shown that 'mild inbreeding' isn't as dangerous as some make it out to be – Darwin even married his first cousin and they had 10 children together.

The problem with genetic drifts is that it's not possible to predict exactly what is going to happen in the genetic drift. There are, however, certain 'controlled environments' that companies like Stagg Industries have taken a preference of exploiting, precisely because of the inherent genetic drifts and their subsequent malleability.

* * *

The advantage of having a resource such as the League, where each member has had intense high level training in observation, information-gathering, and so forth, is that a network is in place which can cover vast areas and acquire intel quickly. In general, there is a discomfort among the members with regards to being used in such a manner; however there is an unspoken agreement that such use is only to occur when it's absolutely necessary. The members know that, collectively, they could easily take over the world – and they are acutely aware of the fact that this is of great concern to governments and people across the world – but they are also conscious of the 'truth' that power corrupts.

The hunting and assassination of children across the US is, unanimously, one of those times when such collaboration in the gathering of intel is 'absolutely necessary'. The nature and identities of the assassins has to be determined, and an awareness beyond them having 'bullet fingers' is needed in order to ascertain how best to tackle them.

* * *

From interviewing some of those who were captured as a result of the raids conducted by League members, it was clear that the assassins were an organisation possessing a range of skills. Masters of disguise and capable of feats of astonishing strength and dexterity, these weren't your 'regular' hired guns. It was also clear that some of them, at the very least, had been active for quite a while.

Security footage was recovered in Detroit and San Francisco, and there is a feeling of discontent among certain League members. The discovery of various 'shadow organisations' in recent years, organisations that, in some cases, had been in existence for hundreds of years, further cemented how little was actually known about the world. As secretive and 'exclusive' as the plethora of heroes and villains are, some of them were now wary of the possibility that, in reality, all they amounted to were a tiny cog in a massive machine.

In the San Francisco footage was a display of elasticity of the kind Eel O'Brian was noted for, only here it was taken to lethal extremes. The Teen Titans had been too late to save a young Chinese girl – the footage of her death was, without exaggerating, gruesome.

In Detroit, a street gang's loyalty was put to the test when 'an old guy like the Terminator brought to life' tried to abduct and then kill one of their members. Five members were killed before Victor Stone arrived and decommissioned the assassin. It took several hours for the League's technology experts to break through the techo-organic security of the cyborg's memory systems.

The information obtained raised an important question: how much did we really know about the world?

The League and its members have, over the years, uncovered and come into direct conflict with organisations such as Kobra and the League of Assassins, but it had become apparent that there are also so many others out there, hidden away and unknown, each one seeking some form of dominance, whether it be local or worldwide. On the flipside, there are organisations such as Team 7, Checkmate, and Stormwatch, which seemed to be there, like the League, 'for the greater good'; and, now, a range of national teams like The Great Ten, fighting for the security and sanctity of their countries.

* * *

Every time I think our actions have been a source of inspiration and good in the world, I'm reminded that it's not just criminals who are a 'cowardly and superstitious lot'. For every time Superman saves the world there are those who wonder if he wasn't the cause in the first place, and others who believe that him, and us, stopping these things actually leads to worse events happening.

It's with thoughts like these going through my head that I watch and analyse the footage, review and digest the reports from the various teams, and try to figure out what else has been going on under the surface while we were watching from the moon.

* * *

The clans were first approached more than 60 years ago. They were offered protection from those who would otherwise rage against their family and cultural habits and, in return, they would allow themselves to be studied and 'tweaked'. All in all, everyone considered it a great deal.

For the first year or so, nothing really changed. Some people had more energy, others were more lethargic. There didn't seem to be any specific reasoning for those two 'extremes', though, so the clans didn't think anything of it. Furthermore, for the first decade, none of them knew that other clans were involved in the 'project'.

During the 60s, the tests and treatments increased significantly, and some of the clansmen were drafted to fight overseas. The notable change among those selected was their increased strength, durability and, in a couple of them, enhanced skin elasticity.

The 80s saw the installation of massive underground bunkers and the application of cybernetic enhancements. Initially, it was only the elderly clansmen who were subjected to the cybernetics. The micro and neurosurgery proved to be deathly 'sticking points' for a while until the project was opened up completely to private corporations.

From the 90s onwards, the elite of the clansmen proudly took on the collective name of 'the Wetmen'. Targeted training and nourishment resulted in the elite having skills considered highly desirable by various 'organisations'. The skin elasticity of previous generations now took the form of 'shapeshifting', allowing them to disguise their bodies – very few were able to have a controlled effect on their hair, and those who could were among the most sought after when it came to particular contracts.

Beyond the protected clans, in order to source new potential, annual 'games' were held from the early 90s onwards. The involvement of the private corporations, however, resulted in the project being expanded internationally, with bases set up in South America, India, Eastern Europe, and China. After the superhero boom, part of the Australian Outback now houses a massive training and assessment centre.

* * *

The data-files retrieved from the old cyborg were immense, comprised of human memory, training, commands and a range of different forms of data. Again, with the lives of children at stake, and the widespread nature of the threat, coupled with it being a case of 'time is of the essence', the League opted to use methods it rarely did. It took the combined processing power of Vic, the Metal Men, and Oracle's enhanced network to cross-refer the 'personnel files' with every single CCTV camera and surveillance network across the US and, using the GPS marker of the cyborg as a reference, determine and verify the locations of every active assassin.

As appropriate members and reserve members were pinged location and assassin information, Batman, using speed lent by the Flash, devised thorough neutralisation and take-down strategies, and J'onn then 'uploaded' the information to the relevant Leaguers. It's another approach they tend to avoid – the disorienting nature of the upload a few days later has various effects, and Batman had a tendency of being on edge after a speed-boost.

* * *

The dark-clothed figures stopped in their tracks and sniffed the air. They hated coming to urban centres like Gotham, preferring, instead, the remote regions of the Middle East, but it was part of their jobs and orders are orders.

For around thirty seconds there was a strange squelching sound and, suddenly, the figure that had stood at around 5'8 was now 6'4 in height. There was another sound as if a blade was being drawn, and the second figure now appeared to be holding a short sword.

From deep inside the shadow of a gargoyle five stories up, two darts silently headed towards the figures.

The shorter figure giggled as it deflected the darts with the sword.

'It's him,' it whispered, excitedly.

* * *

Fire rained down from the sky in a massive wave and the ground exploded. A huge trench began to form, the sides as smooth as glass. To those who have the eyes to see, there is an increase in the 400-315 nm wavelength in various parts of the acres-wide land that is being cordoned off. These pockets of otherwise invisible light were the 'visible' cues of the imminent arrival of 'short range' teleporters.

Alarms and sirens began blaring and, moments later, various parts of the landscape began to change. To the ordinary human eye, these were the most dramatic of visible changes. To those who were able to see far more than the ordinary human eye, these changes were less impressive. To those eyes, the shimmers and pulses of various frequencies, the shift in atmosphere, the way the birds and insects began to flee – these things were of interest.

Invisible force fields and energy fields formed in layer upon layer as people rushed around on the ground trying to figure out what was going on. Within minutes, almost 95,000 people teleported in. Each person a weapon.

* * *

'Peekaboo, Mr Bat. We can seeeeeee youuu…'

Behind them, Batman smiled.

The female retracted her bone blade and began to flex her fingers. The tall figure seemed to pulsate, and shrugged off his trenchcoat. Their fingers twisted and turned in ways which can only be called 'unnatural', and both of them raised their hands to around chest height and roared.

The asphalt underfoot cracked as they braced themselves against the 'recoil' as their fingers shot out and contracted dozens of time per second. Each shot broke the sound barrier, and to those sitting in their apartments, oblivious, it sounded as if there was machinegun fire in the alley.

From the dark part of the alley into which the two were 'shooting', a small stream of red liquid began to slowly pour out.

Behind them, from out of the darkness, came the deep rumble of some kind of monster.


	6. Epilogues

'We're supposed to be a _team_, Clark.'

'I know, and we _are_. But you and I both know that there are times when we have to act without waiting for…verification. We use the information we have and act accordingly.'

'You could have shared what you uncovered…'

'But then what? It would have taken days, at least, for even the equipment in the Watchtower to verify what I knew. I knew you and the others could handle things on the 'ground level'. I can't be everywhere…'

'You're not meant to be. Clark, I know you had things in hand. I knew that as soon as I saw your initial notes on the Metropolis site, but you should have read us in at least.'

'And said what? That there's a worldwide _weapons _programme of creating enhanced humans using vaccines? That almost every government knew about it and allowed it? That there was a veritable _army_ of Government-sanctioned enhanced assassins in the Deep South?'

'It's not as far-fetched as it would have been a few years ago.'

'…I know…'

'The world's changing…'

'…but is it better?'

They sat in silence for a few seconds.

'Taking them all on at once was risky, though, wasn't it? How could you be sure they didn't have anyone of a comparable power level, or Kryptonite or some other way of neutralising you?'

'I wasn't going in blind, Bruce. I scanned every single one of them, as well as each site. It's how I knew I could draw them all to one site, how they would be able to get there, and made sure everyone turned up.'

'But, there were so many of them. According to that cyborg's files, at least 4 of them could generate low level red sun radiation.'

'Emphasis on 'low level'. Come on, you know it takes more than a red light bulb to affect me.'

'But still, if they're able to do something like that…'

'Their bodies couldn't handle the strain. They're in comas at the moment; I made sure I took them out before they killed themselves trying to get me.'

'We could have helped.'

'You and the others needed to deal with the various assassins and save the kids. I saw the data stream Vic and the others were working on and figured we could tackle this on multiple fronts.'

'Without giving us a heads-up.'

They were silent again.

'I knew you'd figure out the 'bullet fingers'. It's just…seeing those kids…each of them had left their homes with the hope of finding something better. Each of them had gone through a nightmare to get to that something better, and each of them was terrified in their final moments. None of them even knew they were 'different', their abilities were barely manifesting.'

'Would it have made a difference if they did know? Sorry, silly question. How _did_ you figure out the 'bullet fingers'? I didn't even spot the scuffs on the floor initially.'

'Trace flecks of skin in the injuries.'

'I hate you sometimes.'

'I know.'

Batman leaned forward a little. 'What do you propose going forward?'

'Clark Kent will be doing a series of exposes on a number of camps where it is safe to do so; ones where the effects of the programmes are visible and undeniable. We, collectively, need to keep an eye on things, but it's not just those camps. This is worldwide, and far beyond what Max had tried to do with his OMAC project.'

'Is there a way to counter what they've done?'

'I have a few ideas. I'll be discussing them with Magnus and the others, and the fact that this goes down to a genetic level rather than the removal of nanotech does pose a number of problems. But we need to consider if…'

'…if we have a right to interfere and neutralise these aspects of the vaccines?'

'If this had been the result of something Starro or Brainiac or any of the others had done…'

'But it's not. It's…human sanctioned…'

* * *

The room has never been occupied and was never intended to be. Its location is unknown to anyone living, and is forever intended to be. The array of projectors displayed figures and busts in silhouette but it was quite clear than none of those who were being projected could be considered 'happy'.

'Who made the call?' asked one, its voice distorted by layers of digital manipulation.

'Directors Travis and Walton,' said another, similarly distorted voice.

'Confirmed?' asked a third.

'Unknown.'

'Why?' asked the first voice.

'We're still trying to locate them. They went off the grid…'

'No, why did they do it?'

'…unknown…'

'…and going forward?'

'Contingencies are active and the projects are proceeding.'

'And the vaccine programmes?'

'Non-enhancement versions will now be used. A series of reversal proposals have been put forward – I suggest we review the position in three months.'

'Agreed.'

'What about those in whom the grafting has been successful?'

'Those in the camps, for the most part, will burn themselves out soon. The limits in their dietary intake have shown that, eventually, their bodies end up consuming themselves in order to provide the energy for the genetic uplifts.'

'That's…unfortunate.'

'Those in more developed areas are being kept an eye on and are being recruited when it's deemed suitable.'

'What of those that Superman…liberated?'

'Esperanza is back in Caracas. Our observers report that she is stronger than she was and can now leap an eighth of a mile, too. Unfortunately, her return has hardened Stephanie considerably, as well as the locals. Ahmed asked Superman to return him to the negotiations and he has now been deemed an untouchable – it seems the various factions would rather avoid Superman's more direct involvement.

'The Eritrean boy is onboard?'

'Confirmed. He's very willing to learn and develop.'

'The data cells Travis and Walton ordered retrieved, resulting in the victims of the non-sanctioned operation, may provide useful information going forward.'

'Distribute the data and let's see what developments can be made.'

The room was silent, and still, and dark.


End file.
